About
Dr. Vakil Takhaveev is a Lecturer at ETH Zurich's Department of Health Sciences and Technology, within the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health. His research focuses on DNA damage mechanisms, aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration, with particular emphasis on developing novel DNA-damage-sequencing methods like click-code-seq and TRABI-Seq. He investigates anticancer drug action (e.g., trabectedin), aging clocks using DNA oxidation profiling, and stress-induced carcinogenesis. His work integrates multi-omics approaches and advanced sequencing techniques.
Research Directions:
- Novel DNA-Damage-Sequencing Methods: Developed click-code-seq and TRABI-Seq for genomic mapping of DNA lesions and repair dynamics.
- Anticancer Drug Action: Explored mechanisms of trabectedin and other chemotherapeutics, linking DNA repair vulnerabilities to therapy resistance.
- Aging Clocks: Created DNA oxidation-based biomarkers for biological aging using genome-wide profiling in human and mouse models.
- Stress-Induced Pathologies: Studies metabolic and DNA damage links to early tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration.
Awards & Recognition:
- 2025 Public Award Winner in PIs of Tomorrow competition
- 2024 ETH Zurich Career Seed Award
- Best presentation awards (Swiss Chemical Society, American Chemical Society)
Grants & Collaborations:
- Impetus grants for aging clock development
- Swiss Chemical Society and American Chemical Society fellowships
Labs & Teams: Leads research on DNA damage and aging mechanisms at ETH Zurich, collaborating with international groups in oncology and toxicology.
